Pyrausta ferrealis (Hampson, 1900)

(Figs 13A–G, 14A–F, 15A–F, 16A–J, 17A–I)

Stenia ferrealis Hampson, 1900: 385 .

TL: [Turkey], “ Armenia ”, Mardin.

Pyrausta euergestalis Amsel, 1954 syn. n.

Trigonuncus euergestalis Amsel, 1954, Ark. Zool. (N.S.), Stockholm, 6(16): 313–314, figs 184, 277–278.

TL: Iran: Tehran.

Material examined. Pyrausta euergestalis:

NHRS: Iran, Fârs Prov.: 1 ♂, Kâzerun- Bushehr Rd., Cherom, 1000 m, 1.iv.1937, Brandt leg. (NHRS-TOBI 000005083) ; Alborz Prov.: 1 ♀, Elburz Mt., Karaj, 16.ix.1936, Brandt leg. (NHRS-TOBI 000005084) .

Pyrausta ferrealis: NHRS: Turkey, 1 ♂, Marasch, Taurus (NHRS-TOBI 000005096) . HMIM: 11 ♂♂ 13 ♀♀: Iran, Alborz Prov.: 1 ♀, Âsârâ, 40 km N Karaj, 1850 m, 27.vi.1971, Safavi, Borumand, Kâviân, Ghâzioff leg. (gen. prep. HA-2528, HMIM), 1 ♀, Tâleghân, 26.-31.vii.1976, Kâviân leg.; Fârs Prov. 1 ♀, Lâr, Pârk-e Shohadâ, 830 m, 26.x.1997, Moghaddam, N. Nazari, Barâri leg. (gen. prep. HA-2464, HMIM) , 1 ♀, Farâshband, Harâtâbâd, 770 m, 7.v.1985, Mirzâyâns, Hâshemi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2430, HMIM) , 1 ♀, Shirâz, Sivand, 1800 m, 15.v.1974, Abâi, Pâzuki leg. , 1 ♀, Shirâz, Kâmfiruz, 1750 m, 5.ix.1974, Pâzuki, Hâshemi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2508, HMIM) , 1 ♂, Kâzerun, Nowdân, 1250 m, 17.v.1975, Abâi, Pâzuki leg.; Hormozgân Prov.: 1 ♂, Gohreh, 12.iii.1972, Mirzâyâns, Borumand leg. (gen. prep. HA-2462, HMIM), 1 ♂, Bandar Abbâs- Minâb Rd. (km 15), 150 m, 1.iv.1973, Abâi leg.; Ilâm Prov.: 1 ♀, Darreh Shahr, Kolm-e Bâlâ, 950 m, 3.viii.2004, Ghayurfar, Nematiân leg.; Kermân Prov .: 1 ♀, Jebâl-e Bârez, 14.iv.1971, Safavi, Zairi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2509, HMIM) ; Khuzestân Prov.: 1 ♀, Ahwâz, Mollâsâni, 40 m, 9.v.1975, Pâzuki, Borumand leg.; Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad Prov.: 1 ♀, Yâsuj, Tang-e Meymand, 1650 m, 9.ix.1971, Ebrâhimi, Badii leg.; Lorestân Prov.: 1 ♂, Pol-e Zâl, N Andimeshk, 25.iv.1976, Pâzuki, Abâi leg., 1 ♂ Andimeshk, Pol-e Tang, 490 m, 10.iv.1977, Pâzuki, Hâshemi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2669, HMIM), 1 ♂, Pol-e Dokhtar, Pâ Alam, 490 m, 10.iv.1977, Pâzuki, Hâshemi leg., 1 ♂, Tang-e Malâvi, 720 m, 24.iv.1976, Pâzuki, Abâi leg.; Razavi Khorâsân Prov.: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 20 km S Mashhad, 1000 m, 3.ix.1980, Hâshemi, Zairi leg.; Sistân and Baluchestân Prov.: 1 ♀, Khâsh, 18 km NE Kârvândar, 1400 m, 14.v.1972, Abâi, Ebert leg.; Yazd Prov: 2 ♂♂, Mehriz- Tang-e Chenâr Rd., Kâlmand protected area (12 km S Kâlmand Ranger Sta.), N 31˚25´33.3˝, E 54˚26´36.2˝, 1773 m, 31.v.2017, Âlipanâh, Afsariân, Mozhdehi leg.; Zanjân Prov.: 1 ♀, Mâhneshân, Angurân protected area, Gharah Boogh, Ghâflân valley, N 36˚37´45˝, E 47˚41´25˝, 1710 m, 17.vi.2020, Âlipanâh, Falsafi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2709, HMIM) .

Distribution. Turkey, Armenia (probably), Iraq, Syria, Iran: Alborz (Karaj), Bushehr (Dalaki-Bureki), Fars (Komehr, Cherom, Shiraz), Khuzestan (Ahwaz, Salehabad in Dezful) and Tehran (Tehran) Provinces (Amsel 1954, 1961; Slamka 2013).

Remarks 1. A close resemblance of Pyrausta euergestalis to P. ferrealis was noted by Amsel (1954), who added that the abdomen of P. euergestalis was shorter than the hindwing compared to P. ferrealis . According to Slamka (2013), P. euergestalis is very similar to P. ferrealis externally, except for the brown ground colour of the forewing in the former species that was illustrated by him as Pyrausta cf. euergestalis (Fig. 13A–C), compared to the rusty brown ground colour in the latter one (Fig. 13D–G). In the present study we examined 11 males and 13 females deposited in the HMIM that were very close to both species (Fig. 14A–F). Additionally, two males and one female of P. euergestalis and one female of P. ferrealis housed in NHRS were examined (Fig. 15A–F). The examined specimens were also compared with the illustrations of these two species presented by Slamka (2013) (Fig. 13A–G). We did not have the type specimens of these two species, but tried to compare specimens deposited in several museums with each other.

Among the Iranian specimens deposited in the HMIM, those collected from Jebal-e Barez (Kerman Province, identified by Amsel as P. euergestalis) (Fig. 14A), Gohreh (Hormozgan Province) (Fig. 14B), Khash (Sistan and Baluchestan Province), Asara (Alborz Province) and Mahneshan (Zanjan Province) (Fig. 14C) have a brown forewing like P. euergestalis, and the forewings of the remaining ones are rusty-brown to creamy-brown (Fig. 14D–F). In the Yazd Province, on specimen has brown forewings, while the forewings of another one are creamy-brown. Moreover, the antemedial and postmedial lines are sometimes finely dentate, but a few specimens have scarcely visible dentitions and sometimes the postmedial line has sharper dentitions.

In the P. cf. euergestalis specimens examined by Slamka (2013), which had been collected in Ankara, Turkey (Fig. 13A) and Darband, Iran (Fig. 13B, C), there was a variation in the degree of clarity of both cross lines of the forewing. This variation was present, but less prominent, in the P. ferrealis specimens examined by Slamka (2013), collected from Turkey (Fig. 13D, G) and Iraq (Fig. 13E, F). The P. euergestalis specimens of NHRS were also variable in sharpness and width of the forewings’ cross lines (Fig. 15A–D).

Examining the genitalia of available specimens revealed that their male and female genitalia (Figs 16A–J, 17A–I) are also very similar; Slamka (2013), noted that P. euergestalis and P. ferrealis had unreliable differences in their male genitalia. Based on the present study, the structure of cornuti varies only very subtly among the examined specimens. In all the examined males, the cornuti comprise three bunches of thorns (Fig. 16A–J): an oblique series of short to moderately long, regularly arranged and nearly equal-sized thorns at the most distal part; a bunch consisting of short to long thorns proximal to the distal bunch at one side with both regularly (Fig. 16A–E, F, I, J) or irregularly arranged (Fig. 16G, H) series of thorns; and a bunch of small to medium-sized irregularly arranged thorns proximal to the distal bunch, just next to the latter group which mostly has a lower density compared to the previous group (Fig. 16A–J). Depending on the position of phallus under the coverslide, the two latter bunches may be overlapping and appear as one bunch (Fig. 16E–G). In all the studied specimens including those with rusty-brown ground colour and brown ones, the cornuti structure was the same, but with some variations in the size of thorns even among the specimens with similar ground colour of the forewing.

Both P. euergestalis and P. ferrealis are very similar to each other in the female genitalia structure. The shapes of the antrum, colliculum and the coiled posterior end of the ductus bursae are very similar in both of them (Fig. 17A–I).

Overall, based on the similar structure of the genitalia and the similar wing pattern of P. ferrealis and P. euergestalis, we here consider P. ferrealis Hampson as senior synonym of P. euergestalis Amsel syn. n., and the differences in their forewing ground colour and variable sizes of cornuti thorns as being intraspecific variation.

Remarks 2. In 1952, Amsel established the genus Mardinia, with Stenia ferrealis Hampson as type species. Later, the species was transferred to Pyrausta by Maes (2002). Stenia ferrealis was described by Hampson (1900) based on a male specimen collected from [Turkey], “ Armenia ”, Mardin. Pyrausta euergestalis was described by Amsel (1954) as Trigonuncus euergestalis on the basis of six males and four females collected in Iran (Tehran, Shiraz, Ahwaz, Salehabad in Dezful and Dalaki-Bureki) (Amsel, 1954). Pyrausta ferrealis is newly reported for the fauna of Iran.